


FaceTime your brother. See the baby.

by Point_of_no_return



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:02:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21553540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Point_of_no_return/pseuds/Point_of_no_return
Summary: Based on Shameless episode 10 x 3This was my interpretation of the feelings shared between these characters and a little intimacy between Ian and Mickey.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 27
Kudos: 159





	FaceTime your brother. See the baby.

**Author's Note:**

> Last night’s episode felt like a love letter to Shameless and specifically Gallavich fans. 
> 
> Thanks to Kat for an extra set of eyes on this story.

The look of shock on Ian’s face was priceless as he had been in a mild state of sleep. He had been dozing in and out thinking about the day’s events and how in the past twenty-four hours so much had changed, especially within his heart. He knew he loved Mickey, but he had been conflicted with ruining his chances for an early parole by planning an attack on another inmate. It wasn’t that Ian was regretful of the idea of staying in prison to be with Mickey, but his regrets lay with the notion his brother most likely needed help at home.

As a Gallagher himself, he was all too aware of the despairing instances his family got themselves into and from what he could gather, the situation for Lip sounded desperate. Gallagher life had always been survival of the fittest. With Fiona gone, Tammy in the hospital, and who knows what exactly was going on with Carl and Debbie, Ian knew one fundamental truth and that was you always fight for your family. If a brother or sister Gallagher needed a shoulder to lean on, you step up and be the shoulder. Whatever the cost. Ian knew without a shadow of a doubt he needed to step up and be a reliable uncle and brother. There was no possible way he could do that locked up. Lip had been a backbone for the family when Fiona had been in jail and needed to watch Liam or the several other times Fiona fucked up and Lip had to pick up the pieces. 

Ian’s heart broke at the thought no one was picking up the pieces for his older brother who needed it most. 

No, Ian knew that Lip had limited help, so when Mickey had asked for him to stay and got a glance of those black, sweet, pouting doe-eyes, his heart ached. Mickey had always been Ian’s everything, but family was family. Ian had fucked up bad enough to be in prison, but he could hopefully get a break and move out of his current state of affairs. This place is only temporary, he thought, this isn’t home. But that wasn’t entirely the case because Mickey was and would always be Ian’s home. Even if things had turned rough. And they even said they needed a break, right? So why was he holding back at receiving that break? 

The truth was that even though Ian never asked Mickey to do all of the various things he had done for the sake of Ian and his welfare, he still felt guilty for all of it. Mickey didn’t say it often, but there was a lot of love in his heart for Ian and that was most recently apparent with his transfer to the department of corrections where Ian was held. Not only had Mickey worked everything out to be in the same institution as Mickey, but he probably bribed a fair about of guards to make it possible for him to stay in his same cell. 

When the time came to nut up or shut up, Ian knew he needed to make the sacrifice and stay with Mickey, but Mickey knew in the deepest crevices of his heart it was a regretful and rash decision. 

Mickey could hear the uncertainty in Ian’s voice when he came in from having a talk with a few of the guys in the yard and although Mickey wouldn’t admit it, it broke him a little inside himself to hear his lover lament over the phone call dropped with his sister earlier that day. It was written all over Ian’s face how wrought with grief he had been. Ian was sitting up straight, against the wall, arms on his knees and staring at the bland sheets on his bed. Mickey couldn’t bear the thought of losing Ian, but if he didn’t release him and allow Ian to be free, he would lose him anyway. 

Mickey has known all too well how those conversations feel when you have such limited time on the phone with a long line of assholes waiting to call home. Also he had known the chaos when you’re on the phone with someone in your family and something inexplicable goes wrong on the other end of the line. That useless feeling of having no way to know what exactly happened. The feelings of overwhelming hopelessness. 

So when Ian was drifting in and out of sleep thinking that he could be the uncle he needed to be, yet guilt ridden with sorrow at the thought of being apart from Mickey, it was difficult to sort out the emotions. Every decision in his life had led him closer and closer to Mickey and to him they were most certainly life long lovers, if not star-crossed soulmates. His heart cracked open a little at the thought Mickey could be so understanding of Ian’s situation and when he had heard that his lover traded three packs of cigarettes to get advice from a wise inmate in the yard, his heart nearly burst. But what really split his heart open and made him think of forever with Mickey was when he received the manila envelope in the late evening at lights out.

Knowing their time would soon approach an end, Mickey made arrangements with a guard to obtain a phone so Ian could see his nephew. He approached the upper bed of the bunk Ian was laying on. 

It wasn’t much of an exchange. “FaceTime your brother. See the baby,” Mickey said solemnly. There was a knowing look at a shell-shocked Ian. 

Ian smiled down at Mickey for the incredibly selfless gesture.

Mickey placed his hand on Ian’s knee over the sheets. A small, sweet domestic thing.

Ian reciprocated by putting his hand against Mickey’s arm and kept his appreciative smile as he looked over at the officer who told him simply that he had five minutes to make a call. 

Mickey ducked back into his bunk and waited. 

  
Minutes later

“Eight pounds. Eight ounces,” Lip said at the camera leaning against the hot sauce. 

“This is Fred.”

Ian’s face was all aglow as he finally had his first look at Freddie. If it were possibly to leap through the phone and hold him, oh, Ian would do it. 

“Fred! Hey hey! I’m your uncle Ian!”

Softly, Lip said it for Fred, “hello.”

Saying it like he couldn’t believe it, reading the absolute tired look on Lip’s face. 

“Lip,You have a son.”

“Yeah, I do,” he replied. “Yeah, fuck.”

“Hey, Buddy.

Fred Gallagher, huh?

It’s nice to meet you, Freddie.”

Lip gave a tired, but sincere nod and held Fred’s head delicately as he smiled and looked down at him. A loving father sharing a moment with his brother whom he adored and couldn’t wait to hug again or simply share a cigarette with.

_Just hold on_ , Ian thought. _I’ll be there in time_. 

It was almost the exact wording Mickey had said that he was repeating to himself then. “I’ll get out soon.” But Ian didn't say it. Instead he just looked on at Freddie with renewed hope he would see his new nephew and hold his face as he gave him warm kisses and gentle hugs. Oh if only it were true, but only time and the parole hearing would tell. 

“Times up,” the officer said patiently, but in a stern voice. “Wrap it up.”

Ian glanced over at the officer and then back to the phone. 

“Okay, Lip. Gotta go. Sorry man.”

“No, no. Really glad you called. You have no idea what it’s been like here lately.”

“Uh, Gallagher house? No Fiona?”

“ _Frank_ ,” they both said simultaneously. 

They both laughed genuinely. The officer cleared his throat.

“I’ll do whatever I can to get out of here, Lip. Promise.” He shuddered at his own words knowing Mickey could hear, but it was genuine.

“Okay,” Lip said as he looked down at a Freddie. Ian knew it wasn’t time to make unjustifiable promises, so he let it be. 

“Say goodbye to uncle Ian, Freddie!” Lip said sweetly and in that new father baby voice.

“Bye Freddie! See you again soon!” 

Ian ended the call and slipped the phone back into the envelope. 

“Hey thanks,” Ian said as he handed it back to Mickey to give to the officer. _“Hey thanks”?That’s the best you can do?_

Mickey came back to the bed, twisted himself around to sink into it, and sat on the edge. He let out a sigh and pushed his legs in, on top of the sheet and blanket. 

Just ten minutes ago, Ian was staring at the ceiling with his mind footing in uncertainties. After the phone call, the shock was ruminating. He had not only seen his brother for the first time in a while, but he got to see and meet his nephew and Mickey was the reason for it. 

Having realized he had taken too long to make such a realization, Ian dropped down to the bottom bunk and saw Mickey still staring the ceiling above him, arms clasped behind his head, lost in thought. 

“Scoot over,” Ian nudged. Mickey acquiesced and turned to his side to look at Ian’s face. Ian was so happy and Mickey began to reflect the happiness in his face. He brushed his fingers and palm over Ian’s cheek and wrapped it around Ian’s neck. They didn’t say anything, they just looked at each other, memorizing the other’s face, hair, little glints of color in each other’s eyes. Almost like it was the last time, which they knew wasn’t true. In every last time Ian had thought he had with Mickey, there was always another time he’d see him again. Mickey was the constant, the moon that orbited his sun, and in knowing that, he could let out a heavy sigh that he didn’t know had been caught in his chest. He leaned in.

“Mick, that was— I can’t.” Emotions balled in his throat trying to get the words out. 

“Shh, shh, I know.” Mickey ran his palm around Ian’s neck and down his chest, soothing him. Calming him. 

“I know,” Mickey said once more , even softer, and kissed Ian’s mouth, licking lightly inside Ian’s Cupid’s bow and massaging Ian’s tongue as he edged inside. 

They laid there in each other’s arms, exploring the flesh with gentle finger tips and blunt nails, and remained that way until Mickey broke off the kiss. “Do you think you could stay down here tonight,” Mickey asked with the hall light shining dimly in his eyes. 

“Sure, Mick,” Ian said with a small smile. “I’m not going anywhere.” Mickey wrapped his left arm around Ian’s body and pushed himself into the crook of Ian’s neck and between his chin and shoulder. Ian wrapped his arms snuggly around Mickey and pulled the blanket over their bodies. It had been a long and unexpectedly emotional day, but it was a relief for both of them to know that they would have made sacrifices for each other no matter the cost. It was more than making someone your bitch in prison or having a “prison wife,” this was destiny. Without a word spoken, they knew no matter what the future would hold, they’d wait for each other. Sleep took over their anxious thoughts of an unknown future. 

They snuggled closer and drifted into dreams of a life where they had lucrative jobs, an apartment close to family, taking care of Yevgeny, and building a life they’d always imagined and hoped for. Well, two out of four wouldn’t be bad. It would happen one day, Ian could feel it in his bones. 

Though Ian and Mickey were in a cell and far from anything comforting, they took relief in knowing they had each other. _What you and I have makes me free._

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are a girls best friend!


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